STAPHYLINID.. 29 



verse, the last gradually pointed and longer than the two preceding; 

 prothorax well developed, one-half wider than long, rounded at the sides 

 and subinflated basally, the sides thence strongly converging and more 

 broadly arcuate to the greatly narrowed apex, the base rounded, un- 

 impressed; elytra moderately transverse, parallel, almost fully as wide 

 as the prothorax, the suture not distinctly longer, the apical sinuses 

 distinct; abdomen at base very nearly as wide as the elytra, evenly and 

 rapidly tapering to the rather acute apex, the fifth tergite scarcely three- 

 fifths as wide as the first and almost as long as the preceding two combined ; 

 hind tarsi long and slender, the first joint as long as the next three. 

 Length 1.85 mm. ; width 0.55 mm. California (Sta. Cruz Mts.), Harford. 



Very easily known by the peculiar fusoid form, acute abdomen, 

 rather less dense and coarser sculpture than usual, small head and 

 by the antennal structure. 



Oxypoda cernua n. sp. Fusoid, pointed behind, moderately convex, 

 feebly shining, the punctures as in the preceding but a little finer and 

 closer, the vestiture moderately close and not very short; color dark 

 rufo-piceous, the legs pale; head longer than wide, oval, rounded at base, 

 not half as wide as the prothorax, the eyes not prominent and at rather 

 more than their own length from the base; antennae short, rather strongly 

 incrassate, blackish, pale basally, the second joint slender, longer than the 

 first and much longer than the third, the latter not as long as the next 

 two together, they being unequal, the fourth slightly, the fifth strongly, 

 transverse the tenth nearly twice as wide as long, the last obtuse and as 

 long as the two preceding; prothorax well developed, one-half wider than 

 long, widest at base, the sides thence strongly converging and strongly, 

 evenly arcuate to the apex, the former broadly rounded, becoming feebly 

 sinuate near the basal angles, which are very distinct and nearly right, 

 the surface unimpressed; elytra as in the preceding but not quite so 

 transverse and relatively larger, fully as wide as the prothorax, the suture 

 fully a fourth longer; abdomen at base about as wide as the elytra, very 

 strongly tapering with straight sides thence to the acute apex, the fifth 

 tergite about half as wide as the base and one-half longer than the fourth; 

 tarsi nearly similar. Length 2.2 mm.; width 0.58 mm. California 

 (Arcata, Humboldt Co.). 



Though allied to nimbata, this peculiar species may be distin- 

 guished from it at once by the rounded and not truncate base of 

 the head, antennal structure, form of the prothorax and much more 

 strongly tapering and more acute abdomen. In nimbata the basal 

 angles of the prothorax are rather obtuse and blunt, the base near 

 them not evidently sinuate. 



The following is a peculiar minute species that may not be an 

 Oxypoda at all: 



Oxypoda madescans n. sp. Small, parallel, shining, finely and asper- 

 ulately but not densely punctate throughout, the pubescence rather 



